


The Witch of Sector Seven

by sanctum_c



Series: Aerith Month 2018 [3]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Meetings, Gen, Hell House, Modern Day Witchcraft, Potions, Unconventional magic, Witchcraft, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:49:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27532537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: Cloud has yet to meet Avalanche's witch - and is told to fetch a potion from her.
Relationships: AVALANCHE & Aerith Gainsborough, AVALANCHE & Cloud Strife
Series: Aerith Month 2018 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2009521
Kudos: 4





	The Witch of Sector Seven

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'Pink'

Tifa was in the process of explaining how Avalanche worked when the leader - Barret possibly - wandered back into the room and asked if Cloud had seen the witch yet. "The witch?"

"Not yet," Tifa called over her shoulder.

"He definitely needs a potion for tonight." An edge of humour to the other man's voice. Tifa nodded.

"Witch?" Cloud asked again.

"Witch," Tifa said. "She's ah-" She shook her head. "She helps us out. I think she's on our side. More or less."

"Okay." Cloud frowned as Tifa lead him back out into Sector Seven and along the street. "But seriously? Witch?"

Tifa shrugged. "If you have Materia, you can throw around magic. Why would calling someone a witch be weird?"

There were about a hundred reasons, not least the use of such an archaic term in the modern age. Tifa had something of a point though; magic was an accepted part of everyday life, but no one Cloud could think of would label themselves a wizard. Nor was anyone likely to. Ditto witch. And yet. Tifa looked back and Cloud shrugged helplessly. A witch. No way would she be like he thought; an old crone, swaddled head to toe in black with a pointy hat perched on her head. He might be able to square the notion of a witch in the current time-frame, but not dressed like that.

Their journey ended a few minutes later outside a nondescript building. More like a residence than anything else. Tifa glanced at her watch and swore. "I need to get back. Just... she's nice. Ask her for an energy potion." She started heading back the way they came. "And come find us when you're done."

Cloud watched until she vanished into the crowd. The door was not locked and there was no choice but to clamber up a rickety staircase to the first floor. Through another door and into a crowded room. Hanging baskets and shelves occupied seemingly every part of the air not corresponding to bare floorboards beneath. Right beneath the baskets were yet more shelves, crowded with glassware and jars containing a bewildering variety of materials. "Hello?"

"Hi!" A voice answered. The witch did not sound old. "What can I do for you?"

"Tifa sent me?"

"Ah!" Something shifted in the distance and there was movement. A flash of pink in between the shelves and the other objects- A woman about his age rounded a set of shelves and grinned at him. "Magic potion?"

"Yeah. She said to ask for one?"

The witch nodded and strode away, waving him after her. Cloud followed the winding route as she threaded through the cramped space. He half expected a cauldron at the end. Instead they arrived at what looked a lot like a kitchen. The witch tugged a thin and ragged book from a shelf of recipe books and leafed through it. From here the contents seemed to be a variety of newspaper and magazine clippings. She stopped on a specific page and bustled around the kitchen. She at least fit to the environment - if not so much the impression her description gave Cloud.

The witch grabbed a reusable plastic drinks bottle and deposited a few pinches of some unidentifiable herbs into the bottle. She opened a fridge and opened a can of sports drink. Cloud blinked. The brand was well known - and widely advertised for use in keeping people awake. Seriously part of her potion? Apparently; the witch poured half the can into the bottle and swigged the remainder. Back in the fridge and another can of energy drink. She cracked it open and dumped it after the first. Five heaped tea spoons of coffee went in after and she sealed the top. "Here you go." Cloud gingerly took the bottle. "Don't taste great, but it works." She grinned at him.

"Thanks," he said, the situation still giving him some issues.

"Anything else while you're here?" The witch flipped through a few more pages. "Weapon enchants or anything?"

"Weapon enchants?" Cloud blurted.

"Sure." She brushed past him and pulled a beaker from a workbench. The stink was incredible. "Poison blade."

Cloud winced, pinching his nose. "What is that?"

"Tobacco." She peered at it. "Concentrated like that, you don't need to do much but touch it. Pain to carry around; risky to handle. Not many people go in for that."

"I think the potion is good enough," Cloud said. "I should, er, get back."

"Cool. Let Tifa know I can help out if she needs me again." The witch had produced some brass knuckles from somewhere and slipped them onto her hands.

"Yeah, I'll do that." Cloud stopped. On a nearby workbench, a tiny model house was waddling across what looked like a small park towards a lake.

"My familiar," the witch said suddenly loud in his ear. "She's 15 Parkview Avenue."

There was perhaps a story there, but this was all too much for Cloud since he arrived. He held up the potion. "Thanks for this. I'll pass your message on."

"Cool. See you around, newbie." And with that the witch seemed to lose interest in him; Cloud stumbled back out into the street.


End file.
